Printing machine



P 6 1955 E, A. TIMSON ET AL 2,716,942

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

lNZlENTO/ZS Sept. 6 1955 E. A. TlMS( DN ETAL 2,716,942

PRINTING MACHIQNE Filed Jan. 24, 1951 v 4 Sheets$heet 2 "'ll l/1 l/VVENTOR5 [ll/e12 ,4. Tum/V Sept. 6 1955 E. A. TIMSON ET L 2,716,942

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INUENTORS M65 14 0/0 3 arman/20,

Sept. 6 1955 E. A. TIMSON ET AL 2,716,942 I PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INUENTORS i 2,7 16 ,942 Patented Sept. 6, 1955 PRINTING MA CHINE Ernest A. Timson and Charles Hillingdon Dickinson, Kettering, England Application January 24, 1951, Serial No. 207,492

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 24, 1950 7 Claims. (Cl. 101-144) This invention is concerned with rotary printing machines and has as a primary object the provision of a new or improved printing machine for testing the quality of paper or other appropriate sheet material to receive printing by different methods.

A second object is to control the various factors such Conveniently the new or improved machine is adapted for use in testing the printing quality of paper as printed upon by a selected one of the three principal methods of printing, viz letterpress, offset and gravure printing. That is to say the rotary printing machine of the invention is advantageously so constructed and operable as to be adapted to test paper for either letterpress, or gravure or offset printing, the change over from one method of printing to another being speedily and simply eifectible by quite minor modifications to the machine.

An advantageous feature of the invention is the arrangement by which we provide an impression cylinder common to both or all the impression mechanisms and movable into printing contact with a counter cylinder or roller of the selected mechanism.

Moreover, the machine preferably includes sheet feed means, operable in timed relation with the impression cylinder actuating means, for introducing a sheet to be printed between the printing surfaces.

Hence we conveniently have the impression cylinder and the sheet feed means conjugated together in their movements. To this end, each of the parts concerned may be actuated from a common cam shaft, the cams of which are pre-set in appropriate fashion to co-ordinate the movement of these various parts. In addition this shaft may carry cams for actuating other parts of the machine, as :35;

will be hereinafter mentioned.

Thus, for letterpress or offset printing, the means for applying ink to the printing zone may be thrown on and off by a further cam on the cam shaft.

To permit of offset printing the machine will also have provision for the mounting of a removable offset cylinder, adapted to be brought automatically into operation by a cam on the aforesaid cam shaft. In this case also there will conveniently be a water-transfer assembly which can be brought into an operating position as and when required.

For gravure printing the machine may be reduced to its most elementary form, ink-applying form rollers being removed and replaced by an ink trough for the gravure roller, so that in this case only the feed and impression cylinder controls are effective.

to use.

Other features of the invention are set forth in the claims, hereto.

One embodiment of a print-testing machine according to this invention is illustrated, as an example only, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional illustration of the general arrangement of the machine.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front view of the machine, partly in section, the various parts being assembled therein prior Figure 3 is an end view, taken on the line IIIIII of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail illustrating thearrangement of the machine for letterpress printing with parts broken away for clarity.

Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 4 but show ing the arrangement for offset lithographic printing.

Figure 6 is a further similar view showing the arrangement for gravure printing.

In all the figures except Figure l, rollers and parts of the apparatus on the observers side of those depicted in full lines have been indicated in broken lines.

The machine concerned enables sheets to be printed alternatively by normal letterpress printing, by offset printing or by gravure printing. Moreover the paper supply and the degree of inking are controlled positively and automatically so that the results of the various test runs, when compared, will give a true indication of the printing method or the type of paper to be preferred.

The machine is made of relatively small compass, having an overall height and an overall width each of less than three feet, so that it can be mounted on a table or bench such as is indicated at 1 in Figure 1. It has a pair of side frames 2 and 3 and is driven from a suitable. power source, such as an electric motor (not shown).

Arranged on horizontal shafts between the side plates are a main printing or impression cylinder 4, a plate cylinder 5, a pair of form rolls 6, reciprocating inking drums 7 and 8, ink distributing rolls 9, a doctor roll 10, and an ink duct 11 with an ink transfer roller'll receiving ink therefrom. The purpose of the rolls 6 to 11 is to transfer ink, in appropriate and distributed amount, from the supply duct 11 to the cylinder 5.

In addition the machine is equipped with a removable offset cylinder 12 carrying the usual transfer blanket, and a set of water-applying parts which are reciprocable into or out of Working position according as to whether or not they are required for use. In fact they are intended for use when printing by the offset process, water then being applied, in known fashion, to specified parts of cylinder 5 by the twin rollers 13, via transfer rolls 14, 15 and 16, from a water-containing offset duct 17.

The feeding and delivery of sheets for receiving the test printing are carried out by means of a number of endless tapes in two sets of spaced, parallel tapes, viz an outer set running over rollers 18 and cylinder" 4, and an inner set running in a shorter path over those denoted 19 and 20 and the cylinder. Opposite 20 there is a cooperating roller 21, and these two engage the tapes between them to drive these tapes forward. The sheet, e. g. of

paper, to be test printed is placed on a table 22 and, at a time which is automatically determined as will hereinafter be explained, is carried forward towards the printing location on the outer tapes 23. On reaching 20 and 21 the inner tapes 24 are applied on top of the sheet; after the conveyance of the sheet through the printing zone, the sets of tapes part at roller 19 and release the sheet to a delivery chute 25.

As already stated, this machine is equipped for three different kinds of printing. In the first of these, normal letterpress printing, the offset cylinder 12 is removed altogether and the water group 1317 moved aside. The

plate cylinder 5 carrying the printing plate is in contact with the impression cylinder 4, as. indicated in Figure. 4, and is inked from ink duct 11 in the normal way through the rolls 610. The paper sheet is fed by the conveyor tapes and printed between 4 and 5, and carried round and delivered on the chute 25.

When oifset lithographic printing is required, the water group is brought in and the offset roller 12 mounted in position as indicated in Figure 5. The: printing then takes place between roller 12 and cylinder 4, the latter being held off the plate cylinder 5, which contacts the offset roller 12 at a stage in the operation to transfer the print to the latter.

Finally, for gravure printing, the form rolls 6- are removed and replaced by an ink trough 26, the elements 7 to 11 therefore becoming inoperative. In addition the cylinder 5' is replaced by a gravure cylinder 27, or the original cylinder 5 may be used with a gravure printing plate thereon. As will be observed from Figure 6, the printing is in this case effected directly between cylinders 4 and 27'.

The impression cylinder 4 has its shaft 23 supported at each end in eccentric bearings, one of which is indicated at 29. This bearing is journalled in the side frame 2 and carries at the rear side of the latter abracket arm 30 having at its other end a rotatable roller 32. The latter rides on the edge of a cam 33.

This earn 33, which has a step- 34 therein, is one of a set. of operating cams mounted side-by-side on a cam shaft 35 (see Figure 3) journalled between the side frame 2 and a rear subsidiary frame or plate 36 secured to this frame- 2 by cross-stays 37. In addition to the impression earn- 33, these cams comprise a feed cam 38, an inker earn- 39, and alithograph-iccam 40, each of which will later be referred to. These cams each have an integral boss screwed on to shaft 35 and are somewhat of similar shape and size, but with their surface recesses rotationallystaggered'. It is to be understood that the shaping and dimensioning of these cams is variable within wide.

limits to take care of various different situations and is driven from the electric motor by a suitable transmis sion. It also carries a gear which Serves. to transmit, through an appropriate reduction gearing'of say' 411i (not shown), the drive to a toothed wheel 41 mounted on a shaft 42 journalled in a bearing 43 in the sideplate 2. At its other end the shaft 42 carries a gear 44 driving a toothed wheel 45 which is normally loose on cam shaft- 35.

The wheel 45 is formed at the front with an upstanding ring 46 having, in its inner edge, a V-shaped notch 46 and the shaft 35 has keyed thereto an annulus 47' which is recessed to form a housing for a pawl 48. The pawl is rockable about a pin 49 on annulus 4'7 under the action of a spring-pressed plunger 5%}. This rocking of the pawl is control-led by a pivoted slipper lever 51 operable through a link.

Hence, when the lever 51 is in the full line position of Figure 2 the cam shaft is not driven, but when it is desired to bring the cams into operation, then-the lever 51 is moved into the position 51 whereupon the pawl 4% is rocked on its pivot 49' by the plunger 59' so that, when the ring 46 has brought the notch 47 around to this point. the pawl 48 enters this notch and the cam shaft 35 is therefore clutch in to the drive from the impression cylinder shaft.

The feed cam 38 controls a roller 52 which is rotatable about its axis on an arm 53 having a boss 54 which is secured adjustably, by a set screw 55, to a shaft 56 rotatably supported by plates 36, 2 and 3'. At the front of" side plate 2, the shaft 56 has secured thereto a pair of parallel levers, one of which is seen at 57 in Figure 3.

The outer ends of the levers 57 are connected by a rod 58 extending across substantially the whole width of the machine between the side plates 2 and 3 and serving to support the lower end of the paper feed table 22, which is pivotally connected at its upper end between the side plates 2 and 3.

As will be apparent, when the roller 52 runs over the recess in the edge of the feed cam 38 it is pressed inwards (by the action of a spring), so causing the shaft 56 to turn and the plates 57 to pivot clockwise, as viewed in Figure 4. The lower end of" the feed table 22 is consequently lowered, thus causing an advance of paper to the impression cylinder 4 and plate cylinder 5.

This result is achieved by' arranging for the tapes 23 normally to pass through grooves (see Figure 1) in the upper side of table 22 and belowthe top face of the latter. Hence, with the tapes running in this way, a paper sheet can be placed on the table and remain there. When, however, in the operation of the. cam shaft 35', the cam 52 rides into the recess in cam 38 the bottom end 59 of the feed table will be lowered a. little, in fact enough for the tapes 23 to emerge from their grooves 60- and carry off the paper sheet into the nip between rolls 20 and 21, and so on for printing and delivery.

The inker cam 39 cooperates with a roller 61 which is carried by a double-armed lever 62 which has a sleeve 63 rotatable on the shaft 56. At its outer end the lever 62 is articulated to a link 64 for controlling the operation of the form rolls 6.

Thus, the lower end of the link 64 is articulated to a lever 65- carrying a rod 5-9 with an eccentric 66 secured thereto and entering a frame 67 between the rolls 6. This frame serves to guide blocks 68 each of which carries side cheeks 69 pivoted at 70 to a setting block 71. The side cheeks 69 serve to hold the shaft of the form roll 6 concerned.

Hence, when the roller 61 enters the recess in inker cam 39, the link 64 is forced downwards, so causing eccentric 66 to be rotated and the rolls 6 pushed outwards and downwards as permitted by the pivoting of side cheeks 69. A set. screw 72 is adjustable in each of the blocks 71 and is adapted to bear against a stop between the cheeks 69 to limit the pivoting of the latter. The result of this movement is therefore to throw off the form rolls 6 from the plate cylinder 5.

The final cam, lithographic cam 40, can cooperate with a roller 74 carried on the end of a pivotable arm 75 (see, Figures 2 and 5.) carrying an eccentric. bearing 76 for the. shaft 77 of the lithographic offset cylinder 12. By reason of this, it will be observed, at a stage in the operating cycle, determined by the setting of cam 40 on cam shaft 35, the arm 75 will be pivoted and the cylinder 12 consequently lifted for a predetermined period into contact with, the impression cylinder, to print a sheet passing between them.

It is further to be noted that the roller. 74., am. 75, eccentric 76 a second. of which is at the front of the. machine, shaft. 77, and the offset cylinder 12 are all removable from the machine. when oifset printing is not called for, for which reason a slot 78 for one of the bearings. 76 is seen in the side plate 2 in Figure 5;

The water group; 13--17 for use in the lithographic olfset process are (see Figure 5,). mounted in aframework 79 which is movable into and out of working position on a slideway 80 under the control of a nut 81.

Finally it is to be observed that the form rolls 6 are detachably mounted, the holders 71 therefor being secured in position by pins 82 (see Figure 2,). These rolls 6 and their mountings are taken out when it is desired to test gravure printing in which instance the gravure design roller. 27 is inserted in place of the cylinder 5; and the ink trough 26 secured between. the. side. plates to occupy part of the space vacated by the form 75 rolls 6.

In use, it will therefore be apparent, the machine described can be set up to print by any one of the three processes. Moreover the printing is automatically and positively controlled whichever process is adopted.

Hence, in the case of letterpress the form rollers 6 are first inked. This is done by a manual control lever 83 acting on the doctor roll 10, which is positively driven, to swing this roll between the duct roll 11 and'the ink drum 8. The drive to, and manual control for, the doctor roll 10 being of conventional form, they are not here illustrated or described.

When a suitable quantity of ink has been transferred by the doctor roll 10, which can be controlled by allowing a predetermined number of revolutions of the roll on ink drum 8 or from observation of the colour of the ink on distribution rolls 9 (which may be chromium plated for this purpose), the cam shaft 35 is clutched in by manual operation of the lever 51, as described above.

As a result, the cam shaft 35 comes into operation and, by virtue of the cam arrangement, the form rolls 6 are first brought into engagement with the plate cylinder 5 by the action of cam 39 to ink this cylinder for a predetermined number of revolutions. Next the impression cam 33 functions to bring down the impression cylinder 4 into engagement with cylinder 5, whereafter feed cam 38 becomes effective to feed in a sheet of paper placed in the table 22. This sheet is printed between cylinders 4 and 5 and carried around the former to the delivery location 25. After printing is finished the form rolls 6 are thrown off and the impression cylinder 4 lifted.

This cylinder is in the printing position for about one revolution only of the plate cylinder 5, so that no print is made on the impression until the paper sheet is fed into position between the cylinders.

During this action, the lithographic cam 40 is ineffective, there being no arm 75 or roll 74 present. However, for testing an offset print, these parts are introduced with the offset cylinder 12, the lithographic plate cylinder 5, and the water group 13-17. In the offset printing test the same sequence is adopted as for letterpress, with the difference that the cylinder 12 is now operated and brought into contact with the impression cylinder 4 to print the paper sheet between them. The letterpress plate cylinder 5 can be replaced entirely by a special cylinder or merely the plate can be so changed. There are circumstances moreover, where the same printing cylinder can be used for both systems.

In gravure printing, the form rolls 6 and the offset cylinder 12 being absent, the cams 39 and 40 are ineffective. Nevertheless the paper feed and the movement of the impression cylinder into contact with the gravure design roll 27 are in timed relation, so that there is positive control of the printing action.

It will therefore be seen that the machine is capable of use for a considerable range of testing. In the first place it can be used for testing the results of the three different printing processes. Secondly, within each of these systems it can print a series of sheets consecutively, and since the machine controls the inking and printing action automatically, each print will be a true reflection of the result of printing by that particular method on that particular quality, colour, thickness, and so forth, of paper. Hence the machine enables the results of printing on different papers, and so on, to be compared.

What we claim is:

1. A test printing machine comprising an impression cylinder, a printing cylinder, a removable offset cylinder arranged to contact the impression and printing cylinders, cam means for moving said impression cylinder into engagement with the offset cylinder, cam means for moving said. offset cylinder into operating contact with the printing cylinder, sheet feed means, cam means associated with the impression cam means for operating the sheet feed means in timed relation with the movement of the 6 impression cylinder, .inker rollers, cam means to bring said inker rollers into'teniporary contact with the printing cylinder, all said cam means being disposed on a com mon cam shaft, and clutch means controlling the drive to said cam shaft to become temporarily operative in a timed sequence.

2. A test printing machine comprising an impression cylinder, eccentric bearings mounting said impression cylinder in the machine, at least one countercyclinder, cam means for moving said impression cylinder into printing engagement with said countercylinder, a tiltable table, sheet conveyor tapes arranged to pass through grooves in said table and through the printing zone, a lever system for causing tilting of said table to bring a deposited sheet on to said tapes, cam means for actuating said lever system to initiate the sheet feed, ink transfer form rolls removably mounted in the machine, cam means for automatically causing the moving of said form rolls into inking and non-inking position, a removable offset cylinder arranged to contact the impression and printing cylinders, cam means for moving said offset cylinder into operating contact with the printing cylinder, an assembly of water transfer rolls movable into and out of an operative position, all said cam means being disposed on a w. common cam shaft to become temporarily operative in a timed sequence, and clutch means controlling the drive to said cam shaft.

3. A test printing machine according to claim 1, in which the inker rollers are mounted on pivotable arms in the machine, and an eccentric device is operatively associated with said arms and is operable by the cam means for the inker rollers through a transmission linkage to throw these inker rollers on and off the printing cylinder.

4. A test printing machine according to claim 3, in which the inker rollers are removable from the machine.

5. A test printing machine according to claim 1, in which the sheet feed means comprise a tiltable table, sheet conveyor tapes arranged to pass through grooves in said table and through the printing zone, and a lever system for causing tilting of said table to bring a deposited sheet onto said tapes.

6. In a test printing mechanism, an impression cylinder, a printing cylinder, an offset cylinder arranged to contact the impression and printing cylinders, cam means for moving the impression cylinder into engagement with the offset cylinder, cam means for moving the offset cylinder into operating contact with the printing cylinder, sheet feed means, cam means associated with the impression cam means for operating the sheet feed means in timed relation with the movement of the impression cylinder, inker rollers, cam means to bring said inker rollers into temporary contact with the printing cylinder, all of said cam means being disposed on a common cam shaft,

r and means controlling the drive to the cam shaft to become temporarily operative in timed sequence.

7. In a test printing mechanism, an impression cylinder, eccentric bearings mounting the impression cylinder in the mechanism, at least one countercylinder, cam means for moving the impression cylinder into printing engagement with the countercylinder, a tiltable table, sheet conveyor tapes arranged to pass through grooves in said table and through the printing zone, a lever system for causing tilting of the table to bring a deposited sheet onto the tapes, cam means for actuating the lever system to initiate the sheet feed, ink transfer form rolls removably mounted in the mechanism, cam means for automatically causing the moving of said form rolls into inking and non-inking position, a removable offset cylinder arranged to contact the impression and printing cylinders, cam means for moving the offset cylinder into operating contact with the printing cylinder, an assembly of water transfer rolls movable into andout of an operative position, all of said cam means being disposed on a com- References Cited In the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Reynolds e Jan. 2, 1912 Koeltiler Juiy 14, 1914 8 Kneppler June 8, 1915 Holtz Max. 31, 1942 Nigra et e June 2, 1942 Davidson Sept. 12, 1944 Sehneider Mar. 19, 1946 Whitehead Au g. 5, 194] Davidson Sept. 23, 19 47 Davidson Jan. 30, 1951 

